PFI-related A&E downgrade 'risks patients' safety'

Patient will be put at risk if plans to downgrade an A&E due to financial
problems at neighbouring hospitals goes ahead, 200 doctors warn in a letter
to The Daily Telegraph today.

Lewisham Hospital's A&E could go due to PFI-related money troubles at a niehgbouring NHS trustPhoto: GETTY

By Stephen Adams, Medical Correspondent

11:00AM GMT 07 Dec 2012

They say the plans to close the new £12 million A&E at Lewisham Hospital in south east London will risk patient safety and quality of care.

There is “simply no clinical evidence” to back up claims that 30 per cent of care provided at Lewisham could be provided in facilities outside the hospital, write the doctors.

Lewisham’s maternity ward is also under threat due to the plan, which was triggered by neighbouring South London Healthcare NHS Trust being put into ‘special administration’ because of financial problems caused partially by a costly private finance initiative (PFI) deal.

It is the first hospital trust to be put into special administration.

The doctors write: “Emergency and maternity services could not be provided by other hospitals without risking our patients’ safety and quality of care.”

They are urging Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, to turn reject the proposal. They are presenting the letter to Number 10 today (Friday).

Matthew Kershaw, who was appointed as special administrator for South London Healthcare this summer, produced the plan in the autumn.

It aims to put the whole of south east London’s NHS services a sounder financial footing.

Mr Kershaw said: "The draft report addresses problems within South London Healthcare NHS Trust and the vast majority of the draft recommendations are about this trust.

"The work we have done has had to include how the trust works with the wider NHS system within south east London, including Lewisham. This work has found that Lewisham Hospital is itself not sustainable going into the future."